Regions of Birth for Immigrants in the United States, 1960-Present

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Regions of Birth for Immigrants in the United States, 1960-Present

This bar chart displays the immigrant population in the United States, between 1960 and 2013, by region of birth. The chart demonstrates a significant shift in origins that resulted after enactment of the 1965 amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The term "immigrants" (also known as the foreign born) refers to people residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. This population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), certain legal nonimmigrants (e.g., persons on student or work visas), those admitted under refugee or asylee status, and persons illegally residing in the United States.

Source:

Migration Policy Institute tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 and 2013 American Community Surveys and 2000 Decennial Census. Data for 1960 to 1990 were from Campbell J. Gibson and Emily Lennon, "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-born Population of the United States: 1850-1990" (Working Paper No. 29, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C., February 1999).